Amalgamator.



A. E. VANDERCOOK.

AMALGAMATOR.

APPLICATION FILED JUNE16, 1914.

Patented July 25, 1916.

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UNITED STATES PATENT omen.

ALBERT E. VANDERCOOK, 0F ALAMEDA, CALIFORNIA, ASSIGNOR TO CALIFORNIA MACVAN COMPANY, A CORPORATION OF'CALIFORNIA.

AMALGAMATOR.

Specification of Letters Yatent. Patented J 1y 25 191(;

a ncauen filed June is, 1914. Serial No; 845,387.

To all whom 'izimag concern: I i 1 Be it known that I, ALBERT E. ,VANDER- coon, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of Alameda, county of Alameda, and State of California,have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Amal gamators, of which the following is a specification.

The invention relates to amalgamators for recovering gold and other valuable metals from the ores or sands containing the same.

One of the objects of the invention is to provide an amalgamator in which the ore and metallic particles are positively brought The invention possesses other advanta-' geous features, some of which, with the fore going, will be set forth at length in the following description, where I shall outline in full that form of the invention which I have selected for illustration in the draw ings accompanying. and formingvpa-rt of the present specification. In the drawings, I have shown only one specific form of my generic invention, but it is to be understood that I do not limit myself to such form, because my' invention may be embodied in a multiplicity of forms, each being a species of my said invention. It is also understood that by the claims succeeding the description of my invention I desire to cover the invention in whatever form it may be embodied.

Referring to said drawings: Figure 1 is a vertical section through one form of the amalgamator of my invention. Fig 2 is a plan view of the amalgamator shown in Fig. 1.

The amalgamator of my invention consists of a vessel or tank 2, in the bottom of which is arranged a mercury coated amalgamating plate 8. Arranged within the tank above the plate 3 is an agitator, comprising a hollow rotatable hub 4 to which are at tached the hollow arms 5. Each arm is provided with a plurality of downwardlyinclined nozzles 6 which are preferably flattened at their discharge ends, which discharge ends occur in close relation to the amalgamating plate. The hub 4 is preferably mounted upon the stationary dependingconductor 7 by means of a liquid sealed anti-friction bearing, so that the agitator may rotate freely with respect to the conductor 7. Liquid is forced downward throughthe depending conductor 7 passes outward through the arms 5 and discharges from the nozzles 6 against the amalgamating plate .3, the reaction of the discharging ets of liquid serving to cause rotation of the agitator. tating structure an agitator and while its operation does produce an agitation of the hquid mass in the tank, the structure also serves as a distributor and as a means for directing the ore and metallic particles into contact with the amalgamating plate.

The liquid carrying the finely ground ore and metallic particles is fed into the'tank through the-conductor 8 which preferably is in communication at its other end with the ore classifier or thickener. The discharge end of conductor 8 occurs below the normal level of the liquid in the tank and is in juxtaposition with the intake end of the suction pipe 9 of the pump 12, which operates to draw liquid from the tank and force it back into the tank through the conductor 7 and the agitator. By placing the discharge end of the feed pipe 8 in close relation to the intake end of the suction pipe 9, the liquid being fed into the tank enters the pump suction and is forced through the noz- Zles into contact with the amalgamating plate. The ends of the pipes 8 and 9 are preferably oined by a tee 13, the third opening of which is open and in communication with the liquid in the tank. By this arrangement the incoming liquid or slimes is forced into intimate contact with the amalgamating plate and sufficient liquid is supplied to the pump, without producing a suction in the feed pipe, and the slimes in the tank are brought into recurrent contact with the amalgamating plate, thereby insuring a high extraction. This arrangement also prevents the pump from sucking air, which air has a deleterious effect when the amalgamation is being carried on in the presence of cyanid.

The tank is'provided with an overflow pipe 14 which carries the slimes to a thickenenor filter or to some other location. Arranged adjacent the bottom 01": the tankis a valve controlled discharge pipe 15 which is opened to'allow the contents of the tank to low armed rotatable structure arranged above said plate, nozzles on said structure directed toward said plate, a pump arranged externally of said tank and arranged to force liquid through said structure and nozzles, a suction pipe for said pump opening into the tank below the normal level of the liquid therein and a feed pipe extending into said tank and terminating below the normal level of the liquid therein and in close relation to the end of the suction pipe, whereby material discharging from the feed pipe is drawn directly into the suction pipe.

2. In an amalgamator, a tank, a mercury covered plate arranged in said tank, a hollow rotatable hub arranged above said plate, hollow arms extending from said hub and provided with apertures directed toward said plate, a pump arranged externally of said tank, connections between the discharge side of said pump and said hub, a suction pipe for said pump opening into the tank below the normal level of the liquid therein and a feed pipe connected to the suction pipe within the tank and below the normal level of the liquid therein.

3. In an amalgamator, a tank, an amalgamating plate in said tank, a rotatable structure arranged to be rotated by the passage of liquid therethrough arranged adjacent said plate, a pump for Withdrawing liquid from said tank and discharging it through said structure, and a feed pipe terminating within the tank and adjacent the intake end of said suction pipe.

4. In an amalgamator, a tank, an amalgamating plate arranged in said tank, a rota-' table structure arranged to be rotated by the passage of liquid therethrough arranged above said plate, a pump connected at its discharge side to said structure, and a feed pipe passing through said tank and connecting' withfthe suction side of the pump, provided with an'aperture connecting the interior of said pipe with the liquid in-the tank.

5. In an amalgamator, a tank adapted to contain slimes, an amalgamating plate in said tank, a stationary conductor depending into said tank, a rotatable structure adapted to be rotated by the passage of slimes therethrough mounted on said conductor and in-close relation to said plate, a pump for withdrawing the slimes from said tank and discharging them through said structure, a pump suction pipe opening into the tank below the normal level of the slimes therein,

and a slimes feed pipe extending into said tank and connected to the suction pipe below the normal level of the slimes in the tank.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand at San Francisco, California, this 10th day of June, 1914.

ALBERT E. VANDERCOOK. In presence of H. G. PRosT, M. LE OONTE.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents,

Washington, .D. C. 

